The invention concerns a rotating or pivoting device comprising a housing, with at least one working piston which is disposed in the housing and can be loaded by a pressure medium, and a pivoting part which is rotatably mounted in the housing and is rotatably driven by the working piston via a rotating coupling mechanism, wherein the working piston is displaceably mounted in a cylinder on the side of the housing and comprises an abutment part which limits the stroke of the working cylinder in at least two positions and can be locked at least in its axially inner intermediate position. The stroke of the working piston and thereby the angle of rotation of the pivoting part are changed depending on the position of the abutment part. The invention also concerns a connection module for a device of this type.
Rotating or pivoting devices are disclosed e.g. in DE 33 06 480 C2, wherein the working piston cannot be displaced into an intermediate position.
In a conventional pivoting unit (SF 100 M D4/6, Sommer Automatic GmbH & Co. KG, D-75334), the abutment parts, so-called stopper pistons, are locked in the respective intermediate position using a slider which engages into the piston rod of the respective stopper piston from a radially outer direction, transverse to the longitudinal axis of the stopper piston. An intermediate position is assumed in the axially inner locked position. When the working piston moves against the abutment part in this intermediate position, the pivoting part is pivoted only into one intermediate position. After release of the locking, the working piston moves into its initial position. The pivoting part also moves into its initial position.
It is the underlying purpose of the present invention to propose a rotating or pivoting device providing simple locking of the abutment part. In particular, the construction of the inventive rotating or pivoting device should be compact and permit reliable locking.
This object is achieved by a rotating or pivoting device, wherein the abutment part comprises an axially displaceably disposed locking piston which, being subjected to pressure against spring means in the intermediate position of the abutment part, can be displaced into a locking position in which it activates the locking means for locking the abutment part. The rotating or pivoting device has a very compact construction since the abutment part comprises the locking piston. Locking is effected only when the locking piston activates the locking means in the intermediate position of the abutment part in response to being subjected to pressure in opposition to the spring means.
Locking balls, locking pins or the like may e.g. be used as locking means.